Antecedentes

The UNDP is seeking a consultant to enhance the social and environmental safeguards systems in place under the Yemen Emergency Crisis Response Project (ECRP), implemented by UNDP under World Bank funding.

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian emergency with an increasing toll of civilian deaths and casualties across the country with over 80 percent of Yemen’s population is estimated to need humanitarian assistance and more than 2.5 million Yemenis have become IDPs.

The ongoing conflict has destroyed much of the institutional ability of key ministries, governorates and local authorities to deliver essential social services to citizens. Public service restoration is also essential for a smooth transition to recovery, as a political agreement is being negotiated.

In this context, UNDP, in partnership with the World Bank, developed the Yemen Emergency Crisis Response Project (ECRP) to step up current efforts of the international community to deliver critically needed livelihood support and service delivery to a population hit hard by the conflict. The project consists of 1,700 sub-projects. Two local institutions are the Implementing Parties (IPs): The Social Fund for Development (SFD) and the Public Works Project (PWP). SFD is responsible for implementation of labor intensive cash-for-work interventions (approx. 650) in all governorates of Yemen and small community infrastructure and initiatives (approx. 100); and PWP is responsible for the implementation of small community infrastructure through local contractors (approx. 1,000).

The project aims to mitigate the impact of the current crisis on local households and communities and assist their recovery from the bottom-up using local systems, capacities and institutions to progressively resume and scale-up service delivery. The project will achieve specific results in: 1) Increasing short-term employment and livelihoods opportunities; 2) Reviving the local private sector; 3) Restoring key service delivery through small-scale infrastructure. As such, the project contributes to the livelihoods restoration and service delivery restoration components of UNDP’s Yemen Resilience Programme. The Project’s Theory of Change assumes that if income-generation and livelihoods opportunities are increased for vulnerable households (including IDPs), with essential service delivery restored and key local businesses revived, Yemeni households and communities will be able to better cope with the impact of the current crisis and be strong drivers of the resilience-building and recovery efforts.

-        Rationale

UNDP’s corporate Social and Environmental Standards (SES) (, www.undp.org/ses) indicate that all UNDP projects should consider the potential environmental and social opportunities that a project may generate and ensure that adverse social and environmental risks and impacts are avoided, minimized, mitigated and managed.  In the context of the ECRP, UNDP’s SES are applied to also ensure consistency with the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguards. In addition, the Implementing Partners have elaborated their own standard operating procedures, that were set up with the support of the World Bank, that integrate social and environmental safeguards.

Because of the nature of the project activities, compounded by the existence of a crisis context, the project was categorized as Moderate Risk project through UNDP’s Social and Environmental Screening Procedure. but with Due to the existence of risk across a multiplicity of many sub-projects, UNDP’s SES indicates the need to establish an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) to ensure that there is a consistent application of the SES across all sub-projects.

UNDP monitors project site activities through a Third-Party Monitoring system due to the inability to access project sites by UNDP in the current crisis context. This presents challenges to fully screen, design management measures, implement and monitor safeguards across all sub-projects.

In order to improve the quality of social and environmental safeguards management UNDP is seeking a consultant to: a) develop an ESMF for the ECRP in line with country specific social and environmental legislation and UNDP’s SES and related guidelines; and b) train and build the systems within the IPs, CO, and Third-Party Monitors to fully implement and comply with the ESMF, including the capacity to screen for potential impacts, develop environmental and social management plans and monitor/report on the implementation of the ESMF.

In parallel to the development of the ESMF, a separate labour management and occupational health and safety framework will be developed as a priority and will provide an input to the ESMF.

-  Scope of Assignment and Tasks

Due to the nature of the ECRP, that has been developed to respond to the emergency situation in Yemen, this work will be conducted on an accelerated basis focussing on priority risks and recognizing that not all information will be available and that the ESMF will need to be revisited in the future.

To support strengthened SES implementation and accountability across the project, the consultant will be in charge of delivering the following outputs and conducting the following tasks:

A. Develop an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for the ECRP

Because of the size and nature of the ECRP, an ESMF is required. Although the ECRP is currently in the implementation phase, the ESMF will provide a strengthened framework and clarity to ensure consistency with the SES across all sub-projects. The ESMF will consider the following:

• Results of the YECRP Social and Environmental Screening (will be updated as needed);
• The ESMF will ensure that the sub-projects are screened and assessed and that appropriate management measures are in place prior and/or during implementation of activities that may have adverse impacts. This includes ensuring appropriate screening tools and checklists are in place;
• The ESMF procedures will be designed to ensure compliance with the relevant social and environmental policy framework (including UNDP’s SES, IP and national policies) during the implementation of the sub-project/activities;
• The ESMF will specify the inter-institutional arrangements and roles and responsibilities across key partners in terms of safeguards implementation, monitoring, reporting, oversight, stakeholder engagement, disclosure, and grievance mechanisms;
• The ESMF will detail the procedures and accountability for the preparation of subproject Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), when required. Including: (i) the preparation of ToRs; (ii) prior review (iii) approval process (iv) the selection and contracting of outside consultants if outside consultants are called on to prepare ESIAs and ESMPs, and; (v) supervision of ESIA and ESMP preparation; (vi) consultation and disclosure requirements and approach, and; (vii) ESMP completion reports, once the activity has been completed;
• The ESMF will also contain annotated ESIA and ESMP outlines for the various types/levels of activities that are expected to have significant impact, including baseline and mapping requirements. ESMPs should identify and summarize expected subproject environmental and social risks and impacts and present measures to mitigate them, including monitoring and reporting requirements, expected timelines for their implementation, and costs and accountability for the implementation and supervision of the agreed mitigation measures.  It should specify the parameters to be monitored, methods to be used, sampling locations, and the frequency of measurements;
• The ESMF will define a set of environmental and social clauses for contractors that UNDP and its implementation partners will incorporate in contractor’s bids and contract documents.  The clauses should specify contractor reporting requirements, and cover issues such as occupational health and safety, interactions with neighboring communities and individuals, transport and access to site, noise and air emissions, soil contamination, surface and groundwater contamination, and the storage and disposal of hazardous and nonhazardous waste, including construction debris. These clauses should be included in all subproject ESMPs.  Contractors will be legally and financially accountable for any environmental or social damage or prejudice caused by their staff, and thus are excepted to put in place controls and procedures to manage their environmental and social performance.  Subproject ESMPs will also include any training required for contractors to understand and satisfactorily meet UNDP environmental and social requirements;
• The ESMF will include estimated costs of such measures, including the necessary project expertise on safeguards to ensure adequate oversight and monitoring for implementation of the ESMF;
• The ESMF will be aligned to UNDP’s Guidance on Social and Environmental Assessment and Management and ESME template.
• Draft and final ESMF to be publically disclosed, including through UNDP’s Transparency Portal;

B. Build institutional systems and capacities to implement and monitor the ESMF

The capacities and systems of the IPs, sub-contractors, UNDP Country Office, and Third-Party Monitors will need to be strengthened to support implementation of the ESMF. All partners will need to be aware of their responsibilities and commit to implementation of the framework.

a)      Conduct a rapid assessment of existing capacities and institutional framework to identify gaps

•  Identify clear gaps in capacities, operating procedures, and guidance that will need to be addressed to ensure ESMF implementation. This will include looking closely at the capacities of the IPs, UNDP Country Office and Third-Party Monitors.
• Consult with stakeholders to get inputs on SES issues, concerns, gaps in implementation, and solutions based on lessons learned in the field
• Review and assess the current SES screening, management responses, reporting mechanisms and systems, roles and responsibilities of relevant actors at all management levels including third-party contractors, branch offices and headquarter levels

b)      Develop and integrate recommendations within IP operating procedures, related guidance, and contractual agreements/legal agreements to ensure implementation of the ESMF

• Review of IP operating procedures, related guidance, and templates for contractual agreements to identify any critical gaps in terms of consistency with the ESMF
• Propose measures to be incorporated within these various documents to address the gaps.

c)    Prepare and deliver trainings for IPs (including key sub-contractors), UNDP Country Office and Third-Party Monitors

• Conduct personalized training for key staff within IPs, key sub-contractors, Country Office and Third-Party Monitors to strengthen capacities relevant for implementation of the ESMF

-        Methodology

The national consultant will work closely with the UNDP Country Office in Yemen, also coordinating with UN Headquarters and the consultancy team that will be developing a labour management and Occupational Health and Safety framework for the ECRP. Activities will primarily include desk reviews, contributing inputs and facilitating discussions and consultations, data collection, trainings, consultation with IPs, relevant authorities and key stakeholders.

The consultant will be expected to build the IP systems while conducting the consultancy on an interactive and iterative basis with Country Office focal point, IP Head Quarters and Branch offices management and UNDP Headquarters SES team.

Deberes y responsabilidades

-    Expected Outputs and Deliverables

•  ECRP ESMF Framework (review ESMF content guideline annexed)
•  Proposed updates to the Operational Manuals and related policies and contractual agreements of the IPs to address gaps
•  Workshops/trainings for IPs personnel, sub-contractors, CO, and Third-Party Monitors.

-      Institutional Arrangement

The Project Manager of the ECRP, is the focal point for the assignment and responsible for day-to-day questions and management of the assignment.

-      Consultancy Duration

The consultancy will be required to finalize the consultancy services within a period of three months and must include:

• An inception meeting to present and agree on the consultancy framework, methodology, and roles of the consultant;
• A validation meeting with the ERRU, ECRP and its IPs upon completion of the ESMF to present what is proposed and revise as needed;
• Finalized ESMF based on the validation meeting feedbacks;
• Training of IPs personnel, sub-contractors, CO, and Third-Party Monitors;

-      Payments and Time Schedules

• Payment shall be provided upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables as per the payment schedules
• Payment requests submitted by the consultant must be certified by the supervisor
• 30% first payment upon completion of inception phase, 30 % upon organization of validation consultation and 40% upon submission and clearance of the final deliverables 

Competencias

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability of analytical and drafting work;
• Familiarity with computers and word processing (WORD, EXCEL, Power Point)
• Fluency in English language;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
•  Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
•  Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;
•  Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Self-reliant and able to work as a part of a multi-cultural team in a stressful environment;

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity ;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Ability to work with a multi-cultural and diverse team;
• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity ;

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

- Education and Experience:

• Advanced University degree (Masters or above) in relevant areas such as public administration, legal studies, development studies, environmental studies, or related social science fields;
• Over 10 years practical experience, knowledge and expertise in environmental and social safeguards;
• Familiarity with social and environmental safeguards procedures and guidelines, including World Bank and UNDP;
• Experience conducting Environmental and Social Impact Assessments and developing related Environmental and Social;Management Plans and/or Frameworks;
• Experience developing and conducting trainings.

- Languiages :

• Arabic and English 

-Recommended Presentation of Offer

Technical proposal 70%

Financial evaluation: 30 %: